Ezekiel
God raised up certain "prophets" who were His mouthpieces.
They would speak out against their sin and idolatry and would
continually warn of God's judgment. Some of the prophets spoke
out in the North and some in the South, but God was faithfully
warning them of certain catastrophe if they would not turn to
him.
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According to Jewish tradition Ezekiel was murdered in Babylon
by a Jewish prince whom Ezekiel accused of idolatry, Ezekiel
was supposedly buried on the banks of the Euphrates River.
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Types and Shadows - In Ezekiel Jesus is the son of man
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Main Theme - The final restoration of Israel
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Author - Ezekiel (According to the Bible and Jewish Tradition)
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Author - Ezekiel (According to the Bible and Jewish Tradition)
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Greek Name - Iezekiel (Greek form of the Hebrew)
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Hebrew Name - Yehezqel "God is strength".
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I. Israel's sin and impending judgment, uttered before the
final captivity (Ezekiel 1-24). II. Prophecies against the
nations of Am-mon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon and
Egypt (Ezekiel 25-32). III. Prophecies concerning the
restoration of Israel, uttered after the destruction of
Jerusalem at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.
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The siege of Jerusalem is portrayed in four symbolical acts
(Ezekiel 4-7). In the first of these, Ezekiel evidently drew a
picture of a city under siege, indicating that this was soon
to be the condition of Jerusalem. After this, Ezekiel lay on
his side for a great number of days, announcing that the
nation was to be punished for its sins. By eating an inferior
type of food which had been cooked on animal dung, Ezekiel
predicted the famine which would accompany the siege. In the
final act, Ezekiel shaved his head, burning his hair, striking
it with a sword and scattering it to the winds, indicating the
fate of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 6 and 7 contain
additional oracles concerning Israel's sin and imminent doom.
3) Visions of idolatry in Jerusalem and the resultant judgment
and destruction of that city (Ezekiel 8-11).
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The major divisions within the book of Ezekiel reveal the
purpose of this ministry. In the first half of the book of
Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-33) Judah is accused of breaking all of
God's commandments, and they are warned by God that they will
be destroyed if they persist in their sins. After Ezekiel's
announcement of Jerusalem's destruction the book of Ezekiel
focuses on an entirely different subject, which is one of
comfort and encouragement to the heartbroken Jews.
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The prophet Ezekiel taken captive during the time when the
Babylonians began their captivity of Judah during the time of
the reign of king Jehoichin, which was about 11 years before
Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem. Ezekiel was one of the
Jewish captives who was brought to the land of Babylon and
settled on the banks of the river Chebar. While he was by this
river and the "land of the Chaldeans" he had a prophetic
vision and received his call to be a prophet to the people in
exile. This all happened in the fourth month of the "fifth
year of king Jehoiachin's captivity" (595 BC). There is one
interesting note that Ezekiel makes when he mentions that he
married a woman in the land of Babylon and had a house, and
that he lost his wife on the very day that the Babylonian
siege of Jerusalem took place. Something else that is
interesting is that the prophecies of Ezekiel address the Jews
in Jerusalem and the events taking place over there, as though
he was in Jerusalem, but he was actually in Babylon.
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Quick Overview of Ezekiel. – –1-3 – – the call of Ezekiel as a
prophet – –4-24 – – Ezekiel's prophecies against Jerusalem – –
25-32– –Ezekiel's prophecies against the nations– – 33-48 – –
Ezekiel's prophecies of the future restoration of Israel.
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Ezekiel prophesied to the the Jewish captives in Babylon.
The Babylonians had invaded Judah three times and each time
they took prisoners back to Babylon. The first invasion was
in 607 BC and Daniel was taken as a captive to Babylon. The
second invasion was in 597 BC and Ezekiel was taken as a
captive to Babylon, and in 586 BC Jerusalem was destroyed
and all the survivors were taken as captives to Babylon.
Ezekiel was married to a beautiful woman who was "the desire
of his eyes" and God told him but his beloved wife was going
to die on the very same day that Jerusalem was to be
destroyed. As a sign to the Jews is a cure was commanded not
to mourn his wife's death. He was to prepare himself as God
had prepared himself for the death of his beloved city
(Ezekiel 24:15-22). God spoke many prophecies through
Ezekiel using words, parables, visions, and similitudes
(strange things to point to something greater). Ezekiel also
prophesied about the false shepherds in Jerusalem and God
said that he will be the true Shepherd Messiah and there
will be a future outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a re-
gathering of Israel in the land. Ezekiel also predicted the
downfall of those nations that were hostile to Judah.
Ezekiel 16 is probably the most remarkable chapter
concerning the love of God for his people in spite of their
continuing idolatry.
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Study Bible with information, images, and notes on many
important subjects from the ancient world. Archaeological
notes, geographical notes, ancient documents and manuscripts,
cultural notes, theological notes, articles from scholars,
information about ancient history, ancient customs, ancient
temples, ancient monuments, and a close look at people,
places, and events from the ancient world that are explained
in an easy to understand format.
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The Book of Ezekiel is a book of the Hebrew Bible, and also
recognized as divinely inspired (and therefore canonical) by
most denominations of Christianity. The book derives its name
from the prophet Ezekiel, a prophet from the sixth-century
BC.[1] This book records Ezekiel's preaching. His name (Hb.
Yekhezqe’l) means "God strengthens" or "May God strengthen".
Ezekiel lived out his prophetic career among the community of
exiled Judeans in Babylon. He belonged to the priestly class
and was married (see Ezk. 24:15-24 ), but it is doubtful
whether he had any children.
The frequent use of vivid, symbolic language causes this book
to have much in common with the Book of Revelation in the New
Testament...
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According to religious texts, Ezekiel (Hebrew: יְחֶזְקֵאל,
Y'khizqel, IPA: [jəħ.ezˈqel]), "God will strengthen" (from
חזק, khazaq, [kħaˈzaq], literally "to fasten upon",
figuratively "strong", and אל, el, [ʔel], literally
"strength", figuratively "Almighty"), was a priest in the
Bible who prophesied for 22 years sometime in the 6th century
BC in the form of visions while exiled in Babylon, as recorded
in the Book of Ezekiel.
Christianity regards Ezekiel as a prophet. Judaism considers
the Book of Ezekiel a part of its canon, and regards Ezekiel
as the third of the major prophets. Islam speaks of a prophet
named Dhul-Kifl, who is most commonly identified with
Ezekiel...
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I. The Prophet and His Book.
1. The Person of Ezekiel:
The name yehezqe'l, signifies "God strengthens." The
Septuagint employed the form Iezekiel, from which the
Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) took its
"Ezechiel" and Luther "Hesekiel." In Ezek 1:3 the prophet is
said to be the son of a certain Buzi, and that he was a
priest. This combination of the priestly and prophetic
offices is not accidental at a time when the priests began
to come more and more into the foreground. Thus, too,
Jeremiah (1:1) and Zechariah (1:1; compare Ezr 5:1; 6:14;
Neh 12:4,16, and my article "Zechariah" in Murray's
Illustrated Bible Dictionary) were priests and prophets; and
in Zec 7:3 a question in reference to fasting is put to both
priests and prophets at the same time. And still more than
in the case of Zechariah and Jeremiah, the priestly descent
makes itself felt in the case of Ezekiel. We here already
draw attention to his Levitical tendencies, which appear
particularly prominent in Ezek 40 through 46 (see under II,
2 below), and to the high-priestly character of his picture
of the Messiah (21:25 f; 45:22; see II, 3 below).
We find Ezekiel in Tel-abib (3:15) at the river Chebar
(1:1,3; 3:15) on a Euphrates canal near Nippur, where the
American expedition found the archives of a great business
house, "Murashu and Sons." The prophet had been taken into
exile in 597 BC. This event so deeply affected the fate of
the people and his personal relations that Ezekiel dates his
prophecies from this event. They begin with the 5th year of
this date, in which year through the appearance of the
Divine glory (compare II, 1 below) he had been consecrated
to the prophetic office (1:2) and continued to the 27th year
(29:17), i.e. from 593 to 571 BC. The book gives us an idea
of the external conditions of the exiles. The expressions
"prison," "bound," which are applied to the exiles, easily
create a false impression, or at any rate a one-sided idea.
These terms surely to a great extent are used figuratively.
Because the Jews had lost their country, their capital city,
their temple, their service and their independence as a
nation, their condition was under all circumstances
lamentable, and could be compared with the fate of prisoners
and those in fetters...
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"God will strengthen," Hebrew, Yehezqel. Son of Buzi
(Ezekiel 1:3), a priest. Probably exercised the priestly
office at Jerusalem before his departure in the captivity or
transmigration (galut) of Jehoiachin, which took place 11
years before the city fell (2 Kings 24:15). His priestly
character gave him much weight with his Hebrew fellow
exiles. His priestly service was as real in the spiritual
temple in Chaldaea as it had been in the visible temple at
Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11; Ezekiel 40-48; Ezekiel 4:13-14;
Ezekiel 20:12-13). The priestly tone appears throughout his
book, so that he is the priest among the prophets. Called to
prophesy in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity (595
B.C.) "in the 30th year in the fourth month." i.e. the 30th
from the era of Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar's father (525
B.C.), an era he naturally uses writing in Babylonia
(Farrar).
But elsewhere he dates from Jehoiachin's captivity
alone. This fact, and his expressly calling himself "the
priest" (Ezekiel 1:3), favor the view that his mention of
the 30th fear of his own age is in order to mark his
entering on a priestly ministry to his exiled countrymen
(that being the usual age, Numbers 4:23; Numbers 4:30; "the
heavens being opened" to him, as they were to his Antitype
in beginning His ministry in His 30th year at Jordan, Luke
3:21-23). Thus, he would be 25 when carried away. The best
of the people were apparently the first carried away
(Ezekiel 11:16; Jeremiah 24:2-8; Jeremiah 24:10). Believing
the prophets they obeyed Nebuchadnezzar's first summons to
surrender, as the only path of safety. But the unbelieving
were willing to do anything to remain in their native land;
and despised their exiled brethren as having no share in the
temple sacrifices...
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God will strengthen. (1.) 1 Chr. 24:16, "Jehezekel."
(2.) One of the great prophets, the son of Buzi the
priest
(Ezek. 1:3). He was one of the Jewish exiles who
settled at
Tel-Abib, on the banks of the Chebar, "in the land
of the
Chaldeans." He was probably carried away captive
with Jehoiachin
(1:2; 2 Kings 24:14-16) about B.C. 597. His
prophetic call came
to him "in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity"
(B.C. 594).
He had a house in the place of his exile, where he
lost his
wife, in the ninth year of his exile, by some sudden
and
unforeseen stroke (Ezek. 8:1; 24:18). He held a
prominent place
among the exiles, and was frequently consulted by
the elders
(8:1; 11:25; 14:1; 20:1). His ministry extended over
twenty-three years (29:17), B.C. 595-573, during
part of which
he was contemporary with Daniel (14:14; 28:3) and
Jeremiah, and
probably also with Obadiah. The time and manner of
his death are
unknown. His reputed tomb is pointed out in the
neighbourhood of
Bagdad, at a place called Keffil.
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consists mainly of three groups of prophecies. After an
account
of his call to the prophetical office (1-3:21),
Ezekiel (1)
utters words of denunciation against the Jews (3:22-
24), warning
them of the certain destruction of Jerusalem, in
opposition to
the words of the false prophets (4:1-3). The
symbolical acts, by
which the extremities to which Jerusalem would be
reduced are
described in ch. 4,5, show his intimate acquaintance
with the
Levitical legislation. (See Ex. 22:30; Deut. 14:21;
Lev. 5:2;
7:18,24; 17:15; 19:7; 22:8, etc.)
(2.) Prophecies against various surrounding nations:
against
the Ammonites (Ezek. 25:1-7), the Moabites (8-11),
the Edomites
(12-14), the Philistines (15-17), Tyre and Sidon
(26-28), and
against Egypt (29-32).
(3.) Prophecies delivered after the destruction of
Jerusalem
by Nebuchadnezzar: the triumphs of Israel and of the
kingdom of
God on earth (Ezek. 33-39); Messianic times, and the
establishment and prosperity of the kingdom of God
(40;48).
The closing visions of this book are referred to in
the book
of Revelation (Ezek. 38=Rev. 20:8; Ezek. 47:1-8=Rev.
22:1,2).
Other references to this book are also found in the
New
Testament. (Comp. Rom. 2:24 with Ezek. 36:2; Rom.
10:5, Gal.
3:12 with Ezek. 20:11; 2 Pet. 3:4 with Ezek. 12:22.)
It may be noted that Daniel, fourteen years after
his
deportation from Jerusalem, is mentioned by Ezekiel
(14:14)
along with Noah and Job as distinguished for his
righteousness,
and some five years later he is spoken of as pre-
eminent for his
wisdom (28:3)...
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(the strength of God), one of the four greater prophets, was
the son of a priest named Buzi, and was taken captive in the
captivity of Jehoiachin, eleven years before the destruction
of Jerusalem. He was a member of a community of Jewish
exiles who settled on the banks of the Chebar, a "river' or
stream of Babylonia. He began prophesying B.C. 595, and
continued until B.C. 573, a period of more than twenty-two
years. We learn from an incidental allusion, Eze 24:18 that
he was married, and had a house, Eze 8:1 in his place of
exile, and lost his wife by a sudden and unforeseen stroke.
He lived in the highest consideration among his companions
in exile, and their elders consulted him on all occasions.
He is said to have been buried on the banks of the
Euphrates. The tomb, said to have been built by Jehoiachin,
is shown, a few days journey from Bagdad. Ezekiel was
distinguished by his stern and inflexible energy of will and
character and his devoted adherence to the rites and
ceremonies of his national religion. The depth of his matter
and the marvellous nature of his visions make him
occasionally obscure. Prophecy of Ezekiel. --The book is
divided into two great parts, of which the destruction of
Jerusalem is the turning-point. Chapters 1-24 contain
predictions delivered before that event, and chs. 25-48
after it, as we see from ch. Eze 26:2 Again, chs. 1-32 are
mainly occupied with correction, denunciation and reproof,
while the remainder deal chiefly in consolation and promise.
A parenthetical section in the middle of the book, chs. 25-
32, contains a group of prophecies against seven foreign
nations, the septenary arrangement being apparently
intentional. There are no direct quotations from Ezekiel in
the New Testament, but in the Apocalypse there are many
parallels and obvious allusions to the later chapters 40-48.
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II. Significance of Ezekiel in Israel's Religious History.
Under the first head we will consider the formal
characteristics and significance of the book; and the
examination of its contents will form the subject under the
next four divisions.
1. Formal Characteristics of Ezekiel:
It is not correct to regard Ezekiel merely as a writer, as
it is becoming more and more customary to do. Passages like
3:10 f; 14:4 ff; 20:1 ff,27; 24:18 ff; 43:10 f show that
just as the other prophets did, he too proclaimed by word of
mouth the revelations of God he had received. However, he
had access only to a portion of the people. It was indeed
for him even more important than it had been for the earlier
prophets to provide for the wider circulation and permanent
influence of his message by putting it into written form. We
will, at this point, examine his book first of all from its
formal and its aesthetic side. To do this it is very
difficult, in a short sketch, to give even a general
impression of the practically inexhaustible riches of the
means at his command for the expression of his thoughts.
(1) Visions.
Thus, a number of visions at once attract our attention. In
the beginning of his work there appears to him the Divine
throne-chariot, which comes from the north as a storm, as a
great cloud and a fire rolled together. This chariot is
borne by the four living creatures in the form of men, with
the countenances of a man, of a lion, of an ox and of an
eagle, representing the whole living creation. It will be
remembered that these figures have passed over into the
Revelation of John (Rev 4:7), and later were regarded as the
symbols of the four evangelists. In Ezek 10 f this throne-
chariot in the vision leaves the portal of the temple going
toward the east, returning again in the prediction of
deliverance in Ezek 43. Moreover, the entire last nine
chapters are to be interpreted as a vision (compare 40:2).
We must not forget, finally, the revivification of the
Israelite nation in Ezek 37, represented in the picture of a
field full of dead bones, which are again united, covered
with skin, and receive new life through the ruach (word of
two meanings, "wind" and "spirit")...
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